


A Simple Man

by littlesparrow33



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bad Flirting, Benny Lafitte Makes Pie, Cook Benny Lafitte, Dean Winchester Loves Pie, Human Benny Lafitte, M/M, Mechanic Dean Winchester, Pining, Slow Burn, then sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:56:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26260762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlesparrow33/pseuds/littlesparrow33
Summary: It was like any other typical day for Benny, until a gorgeous traveler came through town. Dean may have been just another missed opportunity if it weren't for a fire and how charming the man himself turned out to be.Full AU. No supernatural aspects.
Relationships: Benny Lafitte/Dean Winchester
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	A Simple Man

**Author's Note:**

> My first attempt at an entirely-AU story for Dean and Benny! I certainly hope it turns out OK, but time will tell.
> 
> Title and chapter titles from Lynyrd Skynyrd's song, to which Jensen Ackles sings a lovely cover if you want to check it out: https://youtu.be/3SniMv8EGiY
> 
> Happy reading!

A stream of cussing issued from the kitchen.

Benny sighed as he set down the burgers and fries for table six, giving them a brief, but hopefully reassuring smile. Heading behind the counter, he called over, “You doin’ all right there, ’Lizabeth?”

Elizabeth strolled out with a sheepish young woman in tow. “Georgie’s just tried adding a couple fingers to the gumbo tonight. She’s off to get that stitched up.” His cousin was holding Georgia’s hand aloft, cloth wrapped around in a makeshift bandage and looking bloody.

Concerned, Benny walked over to take a closer look. “How bad now, darlin’? You want a ride to the hospital?”

Georgia rolled her eyes and tossed her dark hair impatiently. “I’m _fine_. Just needs to get cleaned up, is all.”

Elizabeth leveled her with a glare. “A bloody hand ain’t _‘fine,’_ girl. Now go get your momma to look at that, I know she got off shift tonight and I sure as hell will trust a nurse’s opinion over a stubborn teen’s.”

“All _right_ , all right. You want me to come back later? Dinner rush is comin’.”

“Benny and I will handle it.” Elizabeth waved a hand dismissively and Benny gave a warm smile and nod.

“You just get better, now,” he assured, and Georgia gave him a bright grin.

“Headin’ out, Pat?” Elizabeth called over to one of their regulars. The tall woman standing by the door looked over and tipped her hat. “Wanna bring this one home? She’s hurtin’.”

“I’m _fine_ ,” Georgia tried to protest again, but both women ignored her and herded the injured girl out the door to Pat’s waiting car.

Elizabeth walked back in with a slightly apologetic look to Benny. “Looks like we’ll be a little short-handed tonight.”

The older man waved it off. “We’ll handle it.”

Then the door chimes sounded, and the dinner rush began.

They were lucky that it seemed quiet for a Friday, but there was a steady stream of customers that kept their feet moving to keep up. As it was, Benny nearly missed it when a man at the end of the counter said something to Elizabeth to make her smile and put a spring in her step. Benny couldn’t help but tease when they crossed paths going through the kitchen.

“That a blush I see, ’Lizabeth?”

She rolled her eyes back at him. “Oh, shut it.” But she had a smile on her face as she flounced out with a slice of pecan pie.

When Benny was close enough, he snuck a peek down the counter. He didn’t recall ever seeing the man before, so it was possible he was just traveling through. Not that Benny worried, exactly—his cousin knew how to take care of herself—but she was practically a little sister to him, and he’d be remiss if he didn’t keep an eye on the man.

With the counter as crowded as it was, though, Benny couldn’t get a very good look. He could see (with great amusement) that plates of pie crumbs were piling up in front of the man. At the very least the man had good taste; Benny was mighty proud of his pies and they’d won regional awards. But that was the most he could gather, and the other customers kept him scampering so that he forgot about the man for a while.

The rush finally died down and people began trickling out into the night to go to their warm, comfortable homes. Benny finished clearing off the tables and they were just down to a few stragglers, including the mystery charmer. Elizabeth was attending to the other customers, so Benny picked up the coffee pot to offer a top off to the man.

He'd barely made the offer when the stranger looked up and hit him with the most piercing, beautiful green eyes that he’d ever seen. Caught off guard, he dimly heard the man’s reply, “That’d be great. Thanks, man.”

Benny wordlessly filled the mug and it took all his composure to walk away calmly. Noting that the other customers were taken care of for the moment, he went to the back and started clearing up some of the remaining dishes and get some much-needed space.

“That a blush I see, Benny?”

A bit embarrassed, Benny nevertheless acknowledged the tease with straightforward wonder. “I didn’t think they made ’em like that around here.”

Elizabeth chuckled and gave him a playful nudge as she passed to help clean trays. “That’s ’cause they don’t. His accent sounds like he’s from up North. Looks like he’s just passing through.”

That was a right shame, Benny thought. Those eyes were striking and were accompanied by a handsome, friendly face that he wouldn’t mind getting to know more. As soon as he could get over that initial rush of sex appeal, of course.

They both headed through the doorway to check on everything out front and Benny caught a flash of those bright eyes looking their way before focusing back on his phone. Benny glanced over at Elizabeth, who waved him off and started chatting with a regular. He took a breath and headed over to their mystery guest.

“Can I get ya anythin’ else, brother?” Benny asked, making sure to keep his smile friendly and reminding himself not to stare.

The man smiled (and damn, but he had a fine smile, too) and shook his head. “Think I’m good. Those were some of the greatest pies I’ve ever had.”

Benny proudly beamed. “Thank you. Always good to hear they’re appreciated.”

“You made them?” When Benny confirmed, the man smiled wider. “You have some serious talent, man.” Benny reddened and thanked him, again. Mr. Green Eyes leaned back a bit and gave a quick nod towards Elizabeth. “You guys own this place together?”

“That we do. ’Lizabeth runs the joint, and I cook and do what I’m told.” That got a laugh.

“Well, seems like a good setup. You’re a lucky man.” The stranger toasted him with the last of his coffee and Benny realized that he had the wrong impression.

“Ain’t like that, chief: ’Lizabeth’s my cousin. We grew up helpin’ my uncle here and took over when he went to retire in Florida.”

“Oh.” The man took that in for a moment. “Still, nice to be with family. Looks like you both work well together.”

There was something wistful in the man’s face, but Benny didn’t want to be intrusive. “Guess we got pretty lucky, after all,” Benny concurred, and it brought back the man’s kind smile. “The name’s Benny, by the way.”

“Dean.” He reached out and they shook hands. “Say, Benny? Since you’re from around here, you know a good place to get a room for the night? Been on the road a while and I’m thinking some decent shut-eye is in order.”

Benny nodded. “There’s a motel right down the road, closer to town. Most in the area aren’t so clean, but I know the owner, Vicky, and she’s a good sort. Doesn’t abide by any hassle and keeps everythin’ in order.”

“Sounds like a winner. Down the road, you said?”

Benny pointed out the direction. “A few minutes away. Just look for Victoria Ann’s Motel.”

“That’s great. Thank you, Benny.” Before he could offer to ring him up, Dean put down more than enough to cover the food. “It was real delicious pie. Hope I can swing by again.”

“Then I hope to see you again soon. Safe travels, Dean.” Benny smiled as the other man stood and headed out. Dean gave a brief smile in Elizabeth’s direction and waved when she called out a goodnight. It was dark out, so Benny couldn’t watch him go, but he heard the sound of a mighty engine starting off down the road.

“Hey, Benny! Quit daydreamin’ over there, time to close up.” The older man rolled his eyes and gathered up Dean’s dishes and cash to finish up. When he got back over to Elizabeth, she raised a knowing eyebrow at him. “So? Our handsome stranger have a name?”

“His name’s Dean,” Benny grunted. “Sounds like he might come back for more pie if you have any designs.”

She gave him a nudge. “Think he was smiling at _you_ an awful lot, cuz. Might be up your alley.”

He shook his head and grinned at her teasing. It was a pleasant encounter and he’d be remembering those appealing features later, but he didn’t really expect to see Dean again. Most visitors just moved on and that was fine.

Benny wished he could’ve taken a picture, though. Those were some amazing eyes.

~ ~ ~

Benny pulled into the café the next morning, looking to get an early start, but was surprised to see a sleek, black Chevy parked over by the corner of the lot. He didn’t know cars well, but it looked impressive. Walking over curiously, he was shocked to see Dean curled up and sleeping in the backseat. It looked uncomfortable for the tall man and he appeared to have dirt smudged all over his clothes and arms. Concerned, Benny gave a gentle rap on the window, feeling sorry when he saw Dean startle awake.

The man looked tired and took a moment to get his bearings. Rubbing a hand over his face, he squinted out the window to see Benny standing by. Not wanting Dean to think that he was pushing the young man to move out, Benny asked, “You OK, chief?”

After a moment spent blinking himself awake, Dean nodded and gestured that he was going to open the door. Benny stepped back and the man unfolded from the car with an awkward stretch that Benny fought not to gape at.

“Hey, man. Sorry if I shouldn’t’ve parked here…” Dean began.

“It’s no problem,” Benny assured him. “Just wanted to make sure everythin’ was all right. Was Vicky not able to get you a room last night?”

“Well, she was,” Dean said, halting voice broken by a quick yawn. “But overnight some idjit fell asleep with their cigarettes burnin’ in bed and started a fire. Don’t know how they didn’t put it out right away, but it picked up fast and spread to the two rooms on either side. Fire department had to come put it out. Vicky shifted the rooms around and I took the car instead. Nothin’ I ain’t done before.”

Benny gave a glance down the road. “Everyone OK?”

Dean nodded. “Yeah, everyone got out fine. Vicky said that she had insurance too, so it looks like she should be covered.”

“Well, that’s a relief to hear. But what’s all this, then? You sure you’re fine?” Benny gestured at the clothes that he now registered as sooty.

Dean ran a hand over his dirty shirt self-consciously. “One of the rooms that caught fire had a family of seven packed in there. When I saw them trying to grab everyone, I just went to help out.” He shrugged and shuffled his feet a bit, looking bashful. It was probably the most endearing thing Benny had ever seen. Dean cleared his throat and continued, “Anyway, Vicky said that you all would be opening in a couple hours, so I just figured I’d come here and maybe get a little rest and some breakfast later?”

Benny smiled broadly. “We can definitely do that for you, cher. Let me open her up and we’ll get some grub in you. We have a washroom around back if you wanna clean up, too?”

Smiling back and looking grateful, Dean replied, “That would be great. Thanks, Benny. Really.”

Benny gestured to the car. “Why don’t you get what you need and come on in. Know what you’d like to eat?”

Dean laughed. “Dude, after trying your pies, you can cook me _anything_ and I’ll eat it.”

Feeling his ears heat up at the compliment, he quickly laughed it off and demurred, “Oh, go on.” Benny turned and headed to the café, listening to Dean hum to himself in the background as he opened the trunk to get his things. This morning was clearly going to be a trial in self-control.

Once Dean was cleaned and dressed, Benny got him set up at the counter with a cup of fresh coffee and started on a quick omelet. It maybe took a few more minutes than usual, but after Dean’s earlier comment, he wanted to put together some damn good food for the man, as a matter of pride. It was worth the extra time to see Dean’s blissful face after taking a bite, then shoveling the rest down quickly.

Benny grinned and told Dean that he had to get started on a few things before the breakfast crowd and Dean nodded back with full cheeks.

“Just holler if you need somethin’, chief,” Benny said, before heading back to the kitchen.

He’d prepped the food for the morning and got a few pies ready for the oven when he heard his name hissed from the doorway. Looking over, he spotted Elizabeth gesturing him over.

“What’s Gorgeous doin’ here, asleep at our counter?” she whispered frantically.

Benny peeked around the corner and saw that Dean had indeed fallen back asleep, despite the coffee. His arm was tucked awkwardly where he must’ve been resting his head and now tilted over the countertop, lips slightly parted. It was quite a sight.

Elizabeth snapped her fingers in front of him impatiently. With a shrug, Benny quietly explained what happened and she calmed down a bit.

“Well, couldn’t turn away a Good Samaritan, I guess.” She eyed her cousin speculatively. “For a moment there I thought you’d actually gone wild on the weekend, like most folks.”

“I don’t ‘go wild,’” he grumbled.

“I know _that_. But maybe you should consider havin’ a little fun now and then.” She smiled to take the edge off her scolding. “Breakfast folks will be in soon, though. Better go wake Sleeping Beauty there so we can get ready.” Elizabeth went in to continue the prep, giving Benny a shove toward the sleeping man.

Benny quietly made his way over. It was a shame to disturb Dean from what looked like some much-needed rest. But Elizabeth was right about the breakfast crowd, and their Saturday help would be in soon as well. With a sigh, Benny reached out to lightly grasp Dean’s shoulder. “Hey, Dean.” Dean came awake with a quick gasp. Seemed like the man didn’t know how to wake slowly. “Hey now, easy there, brother.”

Dean blinked a few times before straightening up. Benny released his shoulder and took a half step back to give him space. The other man ran a hand over his face and shook his head. “Ah, sorry, man. Didn’t mean to drop off like that.”

“No worries,” Benny remarked lightly. “Maybe a little more coffee?”

“Please.” Dean grasped his mug with both hands as Benny refilled it. A careful gulp of the hot liquid did little to perk up the man. Even so, Benny watched him take a breath and ask, “Know any other motels around?”

The older man frowned as he thought. “Honestly? Not one that I’d recommend stayin’ in for probably twenty miles. We’re not close to much out here.” Dean sighed and tried a little more coffee. Benny hesitated, not liking how the man looked stretched thin. “Y’know, if you’d like…you could crash at my place, for now.”

Eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What?”

Benny shrugged, but his resolve strengthened. “No offense, chief, but you look like you’ll be passed out again in no time. Wouldn’t feel right lettin’ you drive off all sleep-deprived.”

Green eyes studied him carefully. “You serious, Benny? I mean, you don’t even know me, man.”

Another shrug and a wry smile. “Seem OK to my eyes so far. Guess if you wind up bein’ an axe murderer I won’t have to regret it for long.”

Dean laughed at that. Then he looked over Benny again, evaluating the offer. Finally, he smiled. “Y’know, only a Southerner would open up their home to a stranger nowadays.”

Benny drawled, “Welcome to Louisiana.”

Another light chuckle and Dean ran a hand across his face again. “Well, if you really don’t mind… I really could use some more sleep.”

“I’m just five minutes away. Let me check in with ’Lizabeth and I’ll drive you over?” Dean nodded and Benny turned back to the kitchen to see if Elizabeth could spare him for a bit. He found her sipping coffee as she watched the pies cooking in the oven. “Would you be all right solo for fifteen?”

She hummed at him. “Hank should be here in five and you’ve already set the kitchen. Should be fine.” Elizabeth gave him an arched look. “You going to have fun yet?”

Benny rolled his eyes. “Since Dean lost his room, gonna let him stay at mine today. He looks like he’s about to drop off any minute.”

She waved him off. “Let me know if you find out whether he wears boxers or briefs.”

He gave an exasperated sigh. His cousin was being particularly saucy this week. Benny hoped that she wouldn’t be impacting his love life more than a few comments here and there. She was hardly one to talk anyway; they _both_ practically lived in the café.

Benny walked in to find Dean standing up waiting for him. After a nod from Benny, Dean picked up his pack to go. “Thanks again for this, Benny.”

The Southern man went to move Dean’s dishes to the sideboard and found that he’d once again set down more than enough cash for the meal. “You want change for this, chief?”

“Naw, man. The food is worth that and more,” Dean asserted, and Benny grinned in pleasure at the compliment. After a quick wipe down, Benny made his way around and they headed out the door over to his truck. Benny witnessed a pained look from the other man on seeing his admittedly old, beat-up ride and chuckled.

“I know it doesn’t compare to your beauty over there, but the engine is solid and gets around just fine,” he assured.

Dean looked embarrassed at being caught out. “Sorry, man. I didn’t mean to—”

“S’all right, Dean. I know she could use some work.”

With that they set off down towards Benny’s place. It was a quiet ride. Dean was managing to stay awake but looked a bit too tired for conversation, so Benny left the radio on low to fill the cab with tunes instead. When they pulled into the drive, Benny felt a little self-conscious. His place was more cabin than house, really, and could probably use a little more care, like his truck.

“Wasn’t expectin’ company, so apologies for the mess,” Benny prefaced, as he led Dean inside.

“Hey, no worries,” Dean replied. “I’m intruding. I appreciate the offer.”

They entered and Benny watched Dean take in the place. The kitchen and living room were open space, but he’d cluttered it with knick-knacks and books, some fishing gear stacked in the corner, and dishes left out from when he got back late last night. It was mostly clean, but his things were worn and one of the cabinets was slanted.

Dean looked around with sleepy curiosity, eyes lighting on a photo of Benny with Elizabeth and his dad and uncle out on a boat. His eyes jumped around to a few other family photos scattered around and he smiled. “Nice home, Benny.”

The older man relaxed a little and went to pull out some sheets and blankets from the hall closet. “Here you go, chief. If you need, the restroom’s right down the hall. Feel free to anythin’ in the fridge and the café’s phone number is tacked to the front if you need to call for anythin’.”

Dean looked a tad overwhelmed as Benny set the bedding down on the couch for him. “I can’t thank you enough. Is there anything I can do to repay you for all this?”

Benny shook his head, smiling warmly. “Ain’t nothin’, Dean. You just go ahead and rest up. I usually come back after lunch to take a break before Saturday dinners. I’ll see you then?”

Dean smiled back and reached out to shake his hand. “Sounds good. Thanks again, Benny.”

“Rest easy, brother.” Benny nodded and headed back outside, smiling to himself. Dean seemed like a good man, very appreciative and charming. Benny hoped to have a little more time later to talk to him before he headed off wherever he was travelling to. For now, it was back to the breakfast crowd and likely more of Elizabeth’s teasing. Not such a bad morning.

~ ~ ~

After a long line of hungry customers and sly winks from Elizabeth, Benny set off back home. He’d checked briefly on Dean’s car and everything looked in order. Hopefully the other man had had some decent rest by now.

When he opened the front door, however, he didn’t immediately spot Dean, just a neat pile of bedding laid out on the cushions. Benny was about to go check the restroom when the kitchen caught his eye. He blinked when he realized that his end cabinet was no longer crooked. Walking over, Benny opened the front and saw fresh marks in the wood, some added screws keeping it in place. Bemused, he looked around, noting that his dishes were washed and drying on the rack next to the sink and the counter looked spotless.

Thinking it over, Benny opened the end drawer that tended to collect his odds and ends and noted that it was missing the tools he usually kept there. He looked up again to see if Dean was hanging around when a noise coming from out back caught his attention.

Over by the back door across the living room, Benny looked through the window and found Dean crouched over the steps below. Benny waited until the noise stopped before opening the door.

Dean looked up from where he was hammering into a wobbly step. He was glowing under the Southern sun in a white shirt and blue jeans, looking much more awake now than earlier. And the bright smile he turned up at Benny had the older man’s thoughts stuttering.

“Hey, Benny! How’d your day go at the café?”

Benny gaped a bit before the question registered. “Day went just fine, thanks. What exactly are you doin’?”

Dean stood up and stretched a bit, rubbing his shoulder. “Hope I didn’t overstep, but I found some tools and hardware and wanted to set a few things right for you, as a thank you. That OK?”

“That’s _more_ than fine, brother. Thank you.” Benny looked down at the step that used to be loose and was now snug in its place. “You really didn’t have to, though.”

A shrug. “I wanted to.” Dean gave a quick tap to the step to test it and then picked up the gear laid out below. “Want these anywhere in particular?”

“I’ll take ’em.” Dean passed them over and Benny stepped back to gesture him inside. “Did you eat?”

Dean shook his head. “Not yet. The whole morning nap’s thrown me a bit off-schedule.”

“Why don’t I fix you somethin’ and we can relax. Want a water? Beer?”

“A beer would be great.”

Benny grabbed a bottle from the fridge and waved Dean off to the couch. While the other man got comfortable, Benny brought out the fixings for a roast beef sandwich, deftly layering up meat and cheese and spices. He looked up to find Dean watching him and his hands slowed down. “Sorry, didn’t ask: you like roast beef?”

“I do,” Dean assured. “Was just thinking, even just making a sandwich you look so…so put together, I guess? Sorry, haven’t met many chefs.”

An amused smirk. “Not a lot of cooks in your family?”

Dean laughed. “Naw, some of us can man a grill pretty well, but actual cooking is a bit beyond our skills. Only one I’ve known to make a real meal is my uncle’s friend, Jody. She brings stuff over sometimes, when she thinks we’ve been starving ourselves.”

Benny finished up the sandwich and grabbed a beer for himself, humming thoughtfully as he handed the food over to Dean. “What does she bring over?”

Dean’s smile turned fond. “She makes a mean lasagna. And she always calls us over for a Thanksgiving turkey that’s pretty damn amazing. Though Bobby usually gets cussed out for bringing frozen casserole every year instead of learning to make it.” He took a bite of the sandwich and made a low sound of pleasure that swelled Benny’s ego, among other things. “God, this is good, Benny.”

“Thank you, brother. Is Bobby your uncle?”

The other man nodded with his mouth full, then swallowed enough to talk around the bite. “Yeah—not my uncle, exactly, but he’s been a family friend forever so that’s what he was always called. I’ve been telling him to grow some balls and marry Jody so I can call her my aunt, but so far he’s staying stubborn about it.” He stuffed his face some more and Benny gave him a minute before continuing.

“Sounds like some good folks. Where y’all from?”

“South Dakota, near Sioux Falls if you know it.”

Benny shook his head. “I don’t. That’s quite a ways from here.”

Dean waited to answer after his next bite. “I’m on a bit of a road trip,” he said, finally. “Took time off to see some of the country. The idea was to come south, head up northeast, then circle back west going home.”

The Southern man whistled. “That’s a lot of ground you’re coverin’. How long you takin’ for this trip?”

A quick grin. “Well, luckily, Bobby’s my boss—I work at his garage—and he basically booted me out the door, saying he needed a vacation from me. Told me to take a month, then check back in.”

Benny nodded. “That’s a good boss; there’s some benefits to workin’ with family. My uncle Jim—’Lizabeth’s dad—let us have a pretty flexible schedule until he retired, so long as we weren’t stupid about it.”

Dean arched an eyebrow. “And how’s your cousin as a boss? She make you toe the line?” he teased.

Benny laughed at that. “’Lizabeth runs a tight ship, sure. But she works just as hard and makes it work anytime we need to change things.”

Dean held up his beer. “To good family bosses, then.”

They clinked bottles and took their swigs. Dean turned his attention back to his sandwich to finish it off, while Benny settled back in his armchair. He looked over the man sitting across from him and was glad that he’d decided to have the man come over, as Dean was turning out to be enjoyable company. And he was still surprised at how Dean had worked to fix up his kitchen and steps. It was a mighty fine thank you just for providing a sofa to lay out for a bit. The man was looking a lot better after some sleep, too. The bags under his eyes had shrunk and he seemed more at ease.

“So,” Dean started again, “you’re a fantastic cook and you have your own restaurant. Do anything for fun? You like to fish?” He nodded at the rod and tackle in the corner.

Benny nodded. “Take some fishin’ trips now and then. Some good lakes and rivers nearby, and sometimes ’Lizabeth and I close up and head to the Gulf for a few days.” He gestured over to a few pictures of them on the boat, one comically showing his cousin with a large pike while he held a tiny grouper. Dean took the images in with a smile.

“Nice. That your boat, too?”

“Yeah. Was my pap’s old rig. He left it to me when he passed, and we keep it moored in the marina for the summers.”

Dean’s eyes softened. “Sorry about your dad.”

“S’all right. Been awhile now, my ma even longer, but I got ‘Lizabeth, and Uncle Jim around the family holidays.” Benny watched Dean nod sympathetically. “What about you? Is it just you and your Bobby?”

There was a little hesitation, but Dean answered before Benny could politely backtrack. “I have my little brother, Sammy. Boy’s just gone off to college: Stanford,” said with a strange mix of pride and sadness. “And my dad’s around, but not really in the picture. When Sam and I were younger, it came out that he had another family in Minnesota. As soon as it was in the open, he left to stay with his other family and we moved in with Bobby. So, I guess I have a half-brother, too—Adam—but I’ve only seen him a couple times. We never really met properly.”

Benny leaned forward with a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry to hear that, chief. That sounds rough.”

He smiled wryly. “It’s all right. I got my ‘extended’ family: Bobby and Jody, and her two foster kids, Alex and Claire. They’re all great.”

“Family doesn’t always end in blood,” Benny remarked.

Dean smiled for real now. “That’s what Bobby says, too.”

“Smart man.” They shared amused looks and relaxed. Benny took a pull on his beer. “So, how’s your road trip so far? Seen anythin’ good?”

That started Dean off on where he’d been so far, which were basically stops for food along the way down to Louisiana: Omaha steaks, a prime burger joint in Kansas City, and a pie house in a small town in Missouri—which were apparently the best pies ever, until Dean had tasted Benny’s.

“Seriously, man, your pies are _gold_. You don’t ship up to South Dakota, do you?” he joked.

Benny laughed. “’Fraid not, brother. You’ll just have to come back whenever you get a cravin’.”

Dean sighed dramatically. “Well, what’s an eighteen-hour drive anyway? Worth it.”

“Could always take a flight down in a few hours instead,” Benny suggested.

He grimaced, looking a little queasy. “Naw, think I’ll be keeping my feet on the ground, thanks.”

Eyebrow raised, Benny asked, “Nervous flier?”

“People weren’t meant to fly, or we’d have wings,” Dean stated firmly while Benny chuckled, shaking his head.

He paused a moment, contemplating. “Y’know, you’ve come all this way… Why don’t I make you a pie for the road?”

“Aw, man, I was just kiddin’ with you. You don’t have to do that.”

“Ain’t nothin’.” Benny stood up and headed to the kitchen, pulling out the fixings. “Got some time and I do like to see someone who can appreciate a good pie.”

Dean followed and made to lean on the counter until Benny pulled over a stool for him. “You sure? Don’t wanna take anything that you’d like to keep for yourself.”

“I’m sure, chief. ’Sides, it’ll be somethin’ to remind you of this place awhile.” Benny glanced over where those green eyes were watching intently. Feeling a little flustered, he continued, “Don’t want you headin’ to the next pie on your trip and forgettin’ mine.”

Dean gave a bright smile. “If you’re sure, then. But even without a pie, you’re pretty memorable yourself.”

Benny had to turn and pull out the butter before the other man could see his pleased blush. The refrigerator air helped cool his face and he assembled everything on the counter. Luckily, Dean looked distracted now, checking out the ingredients.

“So, what exactly do you do here? Anything I can do to help, or is it a secret recipe?”

Benny smiled at his curiosity and he gestured at a few mason jars lined up along the backsplash of the counter. “My secrets are already mixed; the rest is just good timin’. Have you ever rolled dough?” Dean shrugged. “Well it’s pretty simple. I’ll mix and show you how it’s done.”

The next half hour was Benny mixing up the crust and showing Dean how to get an even roll for the pie tray. On the side, he took care of readying the filling and watching to see if Dean needed more flour or had any trouble with the pin. It took two tries before Dean got it and he laid it over the tray, with Benny showing him how to even the edges. Then Benny added the filling and they had another beer while the pie baked, Benny laughing at Dean’s surprised look.

“That wasn’t so hard,” Dean remarked.

“Ever heard of ‘easy as pie?’” Benny teased.

Dean sent him a mock-glare. “Oh, shut it. I know you did the tough part anyway. I just haven’t tried cooking anything in a while and was thinking maybe I should try starting up.”

“It’s good to have a few basics,” Benny agreed. “What’ve you cooked before?”

“Well, grilling I can do—burgers and steak and whatever—and I did learn to make chicken noodle soup when Sammy was sick, with broth not a can.” He thought some more, then shrugged. “The rest I’ve done is just packaged things from the store.”

“Soups are a good start. Some pastas are pretty easy, too. Even if you get store-bought sauce, there’s lots of mixin’s you can add to make it your own. Same with rice, you can add any meat or spices you want and heat it up together.”

Dean laughed and shook his head. “Well, it couldn’t hurt to try sometime, even though it’s probably harder than it sounds.”

“I bet you could figure it out.” Benny had a feeling that Dean could do anything he really put his mind to, if his skills putting Benny’s kitchen to rights were any indicator.

“Well…maybe?” Dean hedged. He rubbed his neck bashfully. “I’ll probably keep a fire extinguisher on hand, just in case.” Benny chuckled while Dean smiled back.

The Southern man checked the clock and said, “It’s gettin’ late; I’m gonna do a quick wash up and then get back to the café. Sound OK?” The other man nodded, and Benny went off to his room to get ready for the evening. He was sorry that their time was coming to an end, but it wasn’t like he could hold Dean here on his vacation.

It was a temptation, though, and Benny kept his shower on the chilly side, trying not to think about it.

~ ~ ~

Benny was pleased when Dean made himself comfortable at the counter and ordered an early dinner once they got in. Elizabeth was heading out for the evening, as she was taking the morning shift again tomorrow, but she took time to make ridiculous faces at her cousin when she saw Dean back again. Benny ignored her.

What he couldn’t ignore was Dean. The man practically inhaled the gumbo that he’d decided to try, with effusive compliments sent Benny’s way whenever the Southern man moved around the counter. And yet, the man made no move to leave. Dean followed up with a slice of pecan pie and then a slice of apple, at which point he slowed down to savor it a bit more. Benny was kept busy, but he made sure to acknowledge Dean or comment in passing as he waited on other customers and was pleased to find the man lingering rather than rushing back on his journey.

Lingering turned into more the next time Benny glanced up and realized how dark it had gotten outside. After taking care of a few orders, he moved to stand by Dean’s seat.

“Where you off to next?” he inquired, trying to sound more casual than he felt.

Dean shrugged, playing with his fork as he picked up the last crumbs from his pie. “Guess New Orleans would be the obvious stop.”

Benny frowned, glancing out at the dark night beyond the window. “Drivin’ that far _now?_ You’re just gonna undo all that good sleep you got.”

The other man cocked his head. “I suppose so. Unless you have another suggestion…?” He trailed off, quirking an eyebrow at Benny that he was trying (and failing) not to read into.

A pregnant pause floated in the air before Benny decided to go for broke. “I…have Sundays off, y’know. If you wanted to stay just a little longer, I—we could try makin’ that casserole in person?” Benny mentally rifled through his fridge and even if it used up the last of his groceries, he decided it would work. “Would give you a chance to test it out and have another night to rest up before hittin’ the road?”

“You’d do that?” Dean looked wondering. “You’re really taking this Southern hospitality the full mile, aren’t you?”

Flushed, Benny shrugged. “It’d be the least I could do, after you fixed up my place.”

Dean chuckled. “We could go back and forth with thank-yous all night. I wanted to help, so I did; you don’t owe me for that.” He raised an eyebrow. “So, all that aside, you really wanna try teaching me some Southern cooking? You might want to consider what challenge you’re signing up for.”

“It’d be my pleasure to show you what the South has to offer,” Benny spoke without thinking and figured that would have been a lot smoother if he wasn’t blushing so much. Still, he was gratified to see Dean’s responding grin and laugh.

“Then I think I’ll take you up on that. Guess it’s about time to learn something new.” His green eyes shone, and Benny shifted in place, thinking, maybe—

A tapping came from down the counter, as one of their regulars requested a refill. Benny turned back around from his temporary distraction and found Dean looking back, nodding at the customer. “Sorry, you’re busy now…”

“Why don’t you go on back to my place? It’s open, and I usually finish up around ten-forty-five, unless it’s busy. We can have a drink, after?” Benny asked, hopeful.

Dean smiled again and nodded. “Sounds like a plan, Benny.” He got up and left a handful of bills, with a wink. “See you later.”

“Later,” the Southern man parroted back, watching Dean go even as he heard the customer request a refill again. It was just too hard not to look, especially when realizing that Dean _might_ have been flirting back. Granted, Benny hadn’t made many efforts lately, so he was a little out of practice, but those looks from the other man had potential. Not to mention the ass in perfect view as Dean walked out the door; how could he _not_ watch that, even when he was getting some looks from other customers at his distraction. Benny thought of the old joke, _“hate to see you leave, but love to watch you go,”_ and snickered to himself. But all this wasn’t the time, so he stepped up and went back to work.

Just a couple more hours, how hard would that be?

~ ~ ~

It was ten-twenty when the sound of several cars and bikes rumbled into the lot. Benny looked out with no little exasperation. The small crowd of men tromped in and set up a full corner of café for themselves.

“Of all the nights,” Benny muttered to himself. The rest of the Saturday crew was gone for the night and Benny had just been thinking of closing up early. But by the energetic conversations from the men, this wasn’t going to be a quick drop-in.

Walking over, he recognized a few faces. Marc, Matt, and Rob were chatting excitedly in the center of the group and they waved as they spotted Benny.

“Benny, my man! We’ve lost another one to the shackles of matrimony!” Matt exclaimed as he clapped Marc on the shoulder. The other man shoved him off with a laugh but had a proud smile on his face.

“Hey, Benny. Sorry to get in so late, but these idiots wanted to celebrate as soon as they heard. Beth-Anne said ‘yes.’”

“Congratulations, Marc. You’re a lucky guy.” Benny managed a genuine smile. The lads had been coming here for years, and he’d met Beth-Anne, who was a sweet woman. She and Marc were good together and it was nice to hear the news. He could wish that they’d kept it for another time, but Benny was glad to hear it. “Can I get you a round on the house?”

“Yes!” Rob chipped in. “Gotta toast our boy, here!”

The rest of the group cheered, and Benny went to grab the drinks. He glanced at the clock and sighed. It just wasn’t going to be an early night.

After a few rounds, some food, and many toasts, the group finally wound down and headed out. Matt and Rob chatted briefly with Benny about a future bachelor party that he should expect an invitation to, and they finally left at eleven-thirty. Benny took another fifteen minutes to clean up and then headed home.

There was a dim light on through the window and as Benny entered quietly, he found the tv playing some baseball commentary. It looked like a game had ended not long ago and the sportscasters’ voices covered up his steps as he tiptoed around the sofa.

Dean had fallen asleep against the cushions. The blanket that he’d used the previous night was still folded and tucked away on the other end of the sofa, with the spare pillow. His boots were off, but otherwise Dean was still dressed, just slouched into the corner and head tilted to the side. In the flickering glow of the tv, Benny could see the other man’s face soft and relaxed, half-pressed into the seat so that most of the left side was obscured in the cushion. Dean was twisted so that he could lean back against the softest part of the sofa but still stretch his legs without hitting the coffee table. Somehow, it made those legs look even longer than usual, even as his torso scrunched to fit properly. A brighter flash from the screen drew Benny’s eyes back up to Dean’s face, where the other man’s lips were curved into a slight smile, as though he was having a pleasant dream. Benny also noticed Dean’s lashes seemed fuller now, as they contrasted with that fair skin, glowing in the dim light.

At this point, Benny realized that he was staring like a creeper and took a step back, trying and failing to look away. He managed to tear his gaze over to the folded blanket and quietly pulled it out. Remembering the last couple times he’d woken Dean, only to startle him, Benny hesitated, but very slowly draped the blanket up to Dean’s hips and didn’t disturb him.

Because it was too late for anything else, wasn’t it? It would be foolish to wake Dean now, for something Benny wasn’t even certain the other man was interested in. And it would be beyond hypocritical after Benny’s talk of letting the man rest before driving out the next day. Benny shook his head as he moved toward the hallway, only pausing to turn off the tv and left Dean to sleep. He’d let the man rest, show him the recipe in the morning, and let Dean head off to continue his journey.

Benny fell asleep in the quiet of the night, his thoughts lingering on the man in his living room.

~ ~ ~

The next morning dawned bright and chipper, though Benny approached it half-heartedly. He managed to get himself presentable and focused on happier things as he went to see if Dean had woken yet. After all, Dean was very pleasant company and had seemed eager to learn about cooking from Benny. This was going to be a good morning, Benny determined. Never mind what he’d expected before. He wasn’t going to throw away the time he still had.

Dean was up and about, working on getting some coffee going. He turned when he heard Benny come into the kitchen and greeted the Southern man with a bright grin.

“Good morning! I hope it’s ok: I found some coffee in the cabinet and thought I’d get it started for us?”

“Sounds great; thank you, Dean.” More than great, as Benny needed to be awake enough to handle that handsome face smiling at him so early in the morning. How else was he going to keep off his unsuspecting guest? This gorgeous man who was considerately handing him a mug full of coffee. “Thank you,” he repeated.

Dean looked rather amused at Benny’s bleary morning demeanor. “You’re welcome.” He turned and grabbed another mug, bringing over the sugar bowl. A couple scoops for himself and then he passed it along to where Benny was propped on the stool at the end of the counter. “Here. Cream?”

Benny shook his head and added a spoonful of sugar before sipping with pleasure.

The other man leaned back and watched Benny, slowly drinking the coffee. “Somehow, I took you for a morning person,” he teased, though he kept his voice low. Considerate.

Benny shrugged. “Late night. Sorry about that, by the way; some folks came in near closin’ and couldn’t leave.”

“No worries; I figured something came up.” At least Dean truly didn’t look offended, only curious. “That happen a lot?”

“Not terribly often. My friend Marc just got engaged, so him and the boys were celebratin’. Good guys.”

Dean smiled. “Good of you to stay open for them.”

Benny met those green eyes briefly and felt the warm flattery in that tone. He blinked and refocused on his mug. “They’re good folks. Was real happy to hear the news.”

Dean hummed agreeably, and they spent the next little while just drinking their coffee. Benny both appreciated the quiet and felt a little more in tune with the other man, who seemed just as pleased to let the morning air lie still as the world woke up slow. Some people preferred to chat up a storm just to fill the void, but Benny always craved moments of peace like this. And it was nice to have someone else to share it with.

After a time, however, the sun rose higher and Benny stood up to put away his mug. “If you’d like to wash up, I can get everythin’ ready to cook for after you’ve showered?” Benny offered.

Dean looked a little relieved, and Benny realized that it had probably been a couple days since the man had the opportunity to fully clean up, since the motel had caught fire. “Thanks, Benny. I’ll just grab a couple things from the car. Anything I need to know?”

“Hot water takes a minute, but it’ll last. Just holler if you need anythin’.”

“Thanks so much.” Benny couldn’t help but smile at that grateful face, as Dean went out to grab a duffel from his car. Looking for a distraction, Benny turned to poke around in the fridge. He frowned as he saw how low he was on just about everything. He usually shopped Sunday mornings, but there was enough to put it off until afternoon, after Dean had gone. Though he had just enough pasta and cheese, the casserole would be a little thin on the chicken. At least he was always stocked on butter and breadcrumbs, and he could swap cream of chicken soup for his last jar of tomato sauce. It would still taste good.

He had everything that they’d need out on the counter by the time Dean returned to the kitchen. The man looked…damn good. Dean’s skin glowed with a good wash and his relaxed shoulders drew Benny’s eye to the water still dripping from the tips of his hair. _God,_ Benny wanted to lean in and follow the line of water with his tongue. Benny pulled himself together and focused on Dean’s eyes as he indicated the spread.

“Here’s everythin’ we need. You think you got all this back home?”

Dean chuckled. “Probably don’t have any of that food—would need a _real_ shopping list for that.” He took a closer look at the dishes and utensils and hummed thoughtfully. “Pretty sure I’ve seen Jody using these around the place, whenever she makes up a meal at Bobby’s.”

Benny nodded. “Good, that’s the main setup for most cookin,’ anyhow. Can make a copy of the ingredients for you to take along.”

“Wow, where do you even start?” Dean’s eyes darted around everything, trying to piece together how everything combined. It was adorable.

“One bit at a time, chief. That’s the best way to start, and the only tricky part is preppin’ everythin’ right…”

The next half hour was walking Dean through boiling the chicken and pasta, heating up butter and garlic, and how to properly toast the breadcrumbs for a crisp topping. Once the ingredients were all sufficiently ready, Benny explained how best to toss them together into the dish and he could see Dean’s eyes spark as he started to get it.

“That’s it,” Benny stated, approvingly, as he had Dean press it all in the dish to cook it evenly.

Dean laughed. “It all looks simple, now. I’m never gonna remember right by myself.”

“Sure, you will,” Benny refuted. “Like I said, we’ll write down a copy for ya.”

“Wow…” It was said in a soft murmur, as Dean inspected the prepared dish with proud surprise. The man was acting too adorable again, and Benny couldn’t help grinning at him.

“Let’s get some sauce over the top so we don’t burn it, then we can add the crumbs…” Benny started over with a pan of heated tomato sauce. “Here, take this. Just pour it evenly over everythin’.”

Dean took the pan gingerly and moved to pour it, but it was barely a trickle.

The Southern man chuckled. “You can give it a little more than that…” He reached out to nudge Dean’s elbow but caught the man off-balance instead. An uncertain jerk and then suddenly the pan was airborne, and clipped Benny’s arm as it tumbled over the counter.

Benny hissed as the hot sauce sloshed onto his skin.

“Oh, _shit!_ ” Dean’s eyes went wide. “Sorry, Benny— _fuck_ , I didn’t mean to—” Even as he spoke, he quickly moved to turn the sink on cold water and gently pulled Benny’s arm under the stream. “ _God,_ I’m so _sorry…_ ”

“I’m fine, Dean, really,” Benny reassured. The water was taking away the sting and it just _looked_ like an angry red rather than being anything really painful.

Dean was biting his lip in concern as he inspected the irritated area coloring Benny’s forearm. Benny didn’t think the other man even noticed that he was cradling Benny’s arm and running light, cautious fingers up and down his skin.

“I’m really OK, Dean. I’ve had much worse in my kitchen at the café.” Benny smiled, hoping to ease Dean’s worry. Dean’s shoulders eased just a fraction, but his eyes were remorseful as he slowly stepped back and grabbed some paper towels for Benny to dry off. “Thanks.”

“Yeah,” Dean replied, uncertainly. His eyes finally met Benny’s and the expression there seemed enough to let him relax a little further. “I’m really sorry, though. Didn’t mean to spazz like that.”

“No real harm done.” Benny finished drying his arm and showed off the skin. “See? Barely a scrape. And look—” Benny recovered the pan, which still had some sauce in it, even though a good bit was splattered on the counter and the floor. “Still got enough to cover the top. Try again?”

“Erm, maybe you’d better…?”

Benny held it out. “Nothin’ to worry about. Can’t let one mistake scare ya off, right?”

Dean huffed a laugh. “Guess not.” He straightened up and carefully moved to try again. Benny didn’t try adjusting him this time around, just let Dean get used to the feel of it. It went slow, but Dean was able to get enough out to coat the casserole top.

“Good. Just the crumbs, now.” Benny spread the toasted garlicky bits over the top, giving Dean a little break, but making sure the other man was watching. Then he popped it in the oven and set the timer. “There, now. Wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Well…” Dean indicated the saucy kitchen with a self-deprecating smirk. “Maybe not the neatest student. I can get that for you, though.” Benny was about to suggest cleaning together when Dean noticed something else. “Dude, did I get your side, too?”

Looking down, Benny saw flecks of sauce all over his shirt, and a larger slop of it sticking just over his hip. Before Benny could do anything about it, though, he was startled to feel hands tugging his hem for a look.

“ _Shit_ , that didn’t burn, too, did it?” Dean’s face was close; bending down to inspect the area that he’d revealed with worry, then giving a short breath of relief when the only red bit was from the sauce clinging to Benny.

The Southern man could only stare, though. Dean finally seemed to notice the silence and met Benny’s gaze again. His eyes went wide as he retracted his hands.

“Um, sorry—didn’t mean to…y’know.” Dean gestured vaguely.

“It’s fine,” Benny replied, automatically, still a little stunned and left _wanting_ , with the proximity.

Dean nodded, but looked a bit concerned. He glanced at Benny’s arm, which was still a little red, and frowned. “Why don’t I clean up in here? Give you a chance to…get clean, too?”

There was tension in the air and Benny had no idea which way it was going to turn, so he took the opportunity to nod and retreat. Heading to the bathroom first, he absently moved to soak his shirt and rub some alcohol over his arm, just in case. And he mentally regrouped.

That gesture wasn’t _nothing_. Maybe Dean was caring person naturally, without much thought, but he was sincere in his concern. And he didn’t seem to have any restrictions on contact, so long as he didn’t feel unwelcome. That…Benny would have to emphasize his _full_ welcome. And maybe, this was the opportunity he’d missed last night… _if_ he’d just take it.

Starting to hope a little more, Benny ducked into his room for a new shirt. He didn’t want to look like a slob as he tried to approach the most gorgeous traveler he’d ever come across.

Before he was fully dressed, though, a series of knocks sounded on the door, full of rapid impatience. “Benny?” A voice called out and Benny’s spine stiffened at the familiar sound. “Benny? Can we talk?”

Benny heard Dean opening the door with a curious, “Hello?”

There was a pause, then a quieter exchange before Benny heard high heels entering the living room. He hastily finished buttoning his shirt and headed down the hallway to find Andrea Kormos standing in his living room, looking elegant and gorgeous, and Dean hovering uncertainly between the sofa and the front door.

“Andrea,” Benny breathed out, surprise coloring his voice and he noticed Dean withdraw further away from the living room.

“Benny.” She was just as beautiful as the last time he’d seen her, but had the look of a city girl now, wearing a smart cream-colored dress with some sort of flashy jacket hanging over her arm that she laid gingerly on the back of the sofa. “I was in the area and hoping that you were around to talk.”

He was blindsided and gaped a bit, creating an awkward silence that was luckily interrupted by the timer going off on the stove. Benny started to move to the kitchen automatically, when Dean motioned that he would get it and turned his back to give Benny and Andrea a moment. Benny’s eyes followed the other man for a few more seconds, regretting the tension in those shoulders, then looked to Andrea to see her gaze on Dean as well, evaluating the man. She turned back to Benny and waited with an arched brow.

Well if Andrea was expecting social niceties, then she’d forgotten a lot over the years. “What are you doin’ here, Andrea?”

That caused her expectant look to cloud a bit and she moved to a more defensive stance. “I know things didn’t end on a good note for us, Benny, but is it so bad that we can’t talk?”

Benny sighed and ran a hand over his face. “You _know_ that’s an understatement. And this isn’t a good time; if it’s somethin’ important, why didn’t you call?”

“Would you have answered?” She took a few steps to stand in front of Benny, reaching out to lay a hand delicately on his arm. “I’m sorry to drop in unannounced, but Benny… I’ve missed you, and I wanted the opportunity to apologize for before. I knew Sundays were usually your days off and I hoped…maybe you could find the time, for me?”

Benny looked down into her beautiful face with that sweet pleading smile that took him back to their early years, when he’d tripped all over himself just to speak to her. She was clearly living well and her whole aspect was fresh and striking and charming. But Benny could also hear the background clatter in the kitchen, where Dean was attempting to quietly set the pans aside and finish cleaning up. He tore his gaze away from his past and saw Dean looking speculatively at the door, probably thinking to get out of the way from the reunion happening in the living room. Those bright green eyes flashed over to Benny and there was a brief moment of uncertainty before the other man offered a gesture to leave.

That settled it in Benny’s mind, and he shook his head. After making sure that Dean wasn’t moving to the doorway, he focused back on Andrea and took a step back, disengaging her hand. “I’m sorry, Andrea, but now isn’t a good time. If you’re stayin’ around awhile and you still want to talk later, then maybe we can find some closure and put away the past, but it will have to wait.”

Disappointment and a fair bit of surprise crossed her face. Clearly, she’d expected him to hear her out and it wouldn’t have been an unreasonable assumption when they were younger. Benny had been a devoted boyfriend and accommodated her every wish, wherever possible. But Andrea was never one to be set low for long and she nodded graciously. “If that’s so, maybe we can talk later. I’ll be in town for a couple days, will tomorrow do?”

“Maybe.” Benny couldn’t think straight enough to settle a plan of action in his mind. “I still have the same number if you want to call.”

Andrea nodded slowly, a small smile on her face. “Then I’ll call you.” She glanced over at Dean, who was still busying himself wiping down the kitchen counter and avoiding looking at them. Picking up her jacket, she looked expectantly at Benny.

Looking back over at the kitchen, Benny was unable to catch Dean’s eyes again and reluctantly went to hold open the door to walk her out. He followed her over to her car, a shiny little Miata that had some dust from the country roads clinging to its lower sides. Andrea opened the door and tossed in her jacket, only to turn back to him with an interrogative look. “So, who is that man that you forgot to introduce me to?”

Benny held back a frustrated sigh. “If you’re stickin’ around, maybe you’ll get an introduction. You did just drop in out of the blue, Andrea.”

She acknowledged that with an impatient twist of her head and forged on. “Are you spoken for now, Benny?”

A spike of anger had him retorting, “Would it be your business if I was?” A flinch in those beautiful dark eyes had him feeling sorry for his outburst, however deserved. “…Sorry, cherie. But this isn’t exactly how I pictured my day goin’. I haven’t seen you for ten years.”

She looked pained at the reminder. “I know, Benny. It’s been a long time. I was hoping to make up for it?”

Benny shook his head, more in confusion than denial. “I need to wrap my head around this first. We’ll see, Andrea.”

Andrea looked like she wanted to say more, but instead tightened her lips and nodded before getting into her car. Another hesitant look at Benny, then she pulled out and drove off. Benny watched her go, feeling all sorts of turmoil, then turned back and entered the house again.

He found Dean staring at the kitchen counter before turning at Benny’s entrance. There was a moment where the other man grappled with what to say before landing on, “Hey, man… You OK?”

Benny let out a long breath and nodded. “Yeah. That was Andrea Kormos. Sorry, I…” Benny fumbled. “She…”

“An old flame?” Dean assisted. At Benny’s nod, he glanced at the window where Andrea had gone and looked back at Benny with what looked like a forced smile. “Quite a beauty. You’re a lucky guy.”

“She is at that; I’m not so lucky, though.” Benny gave up his composure and went to collapse on the sofa, fingers pressing into his temples.

There was a pause, then Dean tentatively made his way over and sat in the armchair. “I take it things didn’t go well?” was the soft inquiry.

A brief, humorless laugh. “To put it mildly. She was my high school sweetheart: my heart, my world. Thought we were in love until we had a pregnancy scare. That’s when I found out that I wasn’t the father, that she’d had an affair with another classmate, Sorento Manson.” Dean made a sympathetic noise, but Benny didn’t look and continued on, “It wasn’t there that it ended, though. I still loved her, and I wanted to stay together and raise the child ourselves if she wanted. But she didn’t. It turned out to be a false alarm, and as soon as it was confirmed, she took off to New York and never looked back. Turned out that she wanted to see the world and didn’t care about livin’ a small-town dream of ownin’ a restaurant and stayin’ with family. She wanted _more_.”

“God, Benny. I’m sorry.”

“No need to be sorry, Dean. It happened a long time ago.” Benny looked over and tried a smile. “I just…wasn’t expectin’ her to show up, ever again.”

They shared a moment of quiet, taking in the unusual situation, when Dean cautiously asked, “What do you think she wants now?”

Benny shook his head. “I can’t imagine what she expects, but she wouldn’t come just to give an apology, I don’t think. If I remember her right, she’s the goal-focused type.”

“You think she’s changed?”

“I don’t know,” Benny replied, a bit lost. “It’s been ten years, I suppose so. But I don’t know what that means.”

Dean nodded. “Look, Benny, if you need me to clear out early…I can hit the road. I don’t want to— I mean, if you…”

Benny looked in those uncertain eyes and felt a tight lurch in his stomach. “No, that’s not… I don’t want you to go, Dean.”

He thought maybe that was clear enough, but Dean still hesitated. “Look, man, I feel like maybe I’ve been—on a different wavelength here.” Another glance out the window. “I don’t want things to get…uncomfortable. You’ve been really great, and I—”

The Southern man warmed as he began to grasp that Dean was hung up on his ex’s gender and Benny was reassured at the implication that this attraction between them wasn’t all platonic. It was enough, and Benny finally threw caution out the door. Benny leaned forward to grasp Dean’s knee and caught his gaze. “I think we’ve been speakin’ on the same wavelength, Dean. I’m real glad I was able to help you out and all, but it’s not every wayward soul that I offer a bed to. You caught my eye as soon as I saw you in my café, cher.” Dean’s eyes widened, and Benny hoped to hell that he hadn’t been out of line here.

But a lovely smile grew on Dean’s face and he shifted closer to Benny. “Then, all this cooking you’ve been doing hasn’t just been to show off?”

Benny chuckled and squeezed Dean’s knee gently. “Not _just_ to show off, no. Though I’m hopin’ you were impressed?”

Dean reached over and grasped Benny’s hand. “Very,” he confessed.

Benny grinned back at him and was beginning to lean in closer when his cell phone went off. He actually growled in frustration and Dean gave an amused chuckle. With a pained look at Dean, he checked his phone and saw his cousin calling. “It’s ’Lizabeth, I should see what she needs,” he said, apologetically. Dean nodded and patted Benny’s leg before walking back over to the kitchen to give him time.

Benny didn’t have the chance to say anything because Elizabeth started talking as soon as the line connected. “Do you know who just walked into our café like she damn well owns the place?” she hissed, the noise of the kitchen in the background.

He sighed. “Andrea. I know.”

“You _know?_ Was she over there botherin’ you? I’ll kick her out _right now_ ,” Elizabeth spoke furiously.

“ _’Lizabeth_ , calm down! Just…give her food and let her go on her way. No need to fuss.”

“ _No need to_ —Benny, that bitch walked out on you at the first chance she had. If that’s not reason to draw the line, then I don’t know what is!”

Benny sighed again but was warmed by his cousin’s defense of him. “Really, ’Lizabeth, it was ten years ago. I’m not sayin’ it’s water under the bridge or that you gotta be sweet to her or anythin’, but I’ve come a long way since then and I’d rather not add any more drama to today.”

There was a pause and Benny listened to the familiar rattling and bustle of the café kitchen, hearing a bit of Garth’s voice in the background. Then Elizabeth asked, “ _Was_ she botherin’ you, though? Did she want somethin’?”

“She said that she wanted to apologize. I don’t know what else was on her mind, since I had her leave. Didn’t wanna let her interrupt my day off.”

Elizabeth hummed thoughtfully. “Never knew you to be so protective of your free time, Benny. Unless… Was she _‘interrupting?’_ ” she sounded delighted.

Benny groaned. “She actually didn’t; _you_ , however…”

She barked out a laugh. “Well, then! I’m surprised you didn’t scare him off. Well done, Benny! I’ll let you get back to it and lord it over the bitch when I bring out her food. Did she see him?”

“’Lizabeth…”

“Y’know what, I don’t even care. You go have fun, cuz. Say hi to Dean for me.” And with that, she hung up and Benny wondered just how badly she was about to go piss off Andrea. They never liked each other much anyway.

“Everything all right?” Dean asked from the kitchen, raising an amused eyebrow, and Benny wondered how his side of the conversation had sounded.

“Everythin’s fine. ’Lizabeth was just lettin’ me know of the latest arrival in town and promisin’ to defend my honor. She says hi, by the way.” Dean laughed, and Benny let himself admire the cheerful look on the other man’s face.

Shaking his head, Dean leaned against the cabinets and smiled at Benny. “You have a good one in that Elizabeth.”

“That I do,” Benny agreed. He walked to the counter and looked over the handsome man in front of him. Dean met his gaze and his eyes darkened at the clear appraisal. With a quick smirk, Benny made a show of shutting off his phone and laying it down. “She can be a pest at times, though.”

“Family can be like that,” Dean said, distractedly, as Benny moved closer. The Southern man reached out to lightly rest his hand on Dean’s hip and waited.

Dean lifted his arms to grasp Benny’s face and neck. With one last look in Benny’s eyes, Dean gave a slow smile and leaned in. Benny met him halfway and _finally_ they were kissing.

Dean’s mouth was warm and welcoming, pressing and pulling against his lips with a slight rasp where his stubble caught at the soft skin. Giving a playful tug to Dean’s lower lip, his mouth opened to Benny and the Southern man eagerly sought to map out the shape of it. The wet, inquisitive touch of Dean’s tongue to his had Benny groaning into that delightful cavern, arm tightening around Dean’s waist and his other arm dropping to brush over that tempting jean-clad ass.

At the touch, Dean gasped a bit and pressed into Benny with enthusiasm. Benny tightened his hold and leaned them harder against the counter, which couldn’t have been entirely comfortable but didn’t deter the younger man in the slightest. They took turns devouring each other and soon it became clear that they were ready for more. The next time Benny tugged on that fine ass, Dean rolled his hips into Benny’s, both of them feeling their hard cocks trapped beneath their pants. Benny pulled back with a sharp breath. “ _Dean_.”

“ _Benny_ ,” he echoed back.

God, but Benny liked the sound of his name rolling off those sweet lips. He had to pull back for a moment and nuzzled into Dean’s throat, mouthing at the tender skin there. “Mon dieu, Dean.”

Dean responded by clutching at Benny’s hair and leaning his head back for better access. After tracing up and down the other man’s neck, Benny dragged his lips away and moved to lean his head against Dean’s, trying to get ahold of himself. “You taste so _good_.”

Dean panted against him in an approximation of a laugh. “Must be the pies.”

“ _Dean_.” Benny swooped in for another kiss. “Cher, how far d’you wanna take this?” Benny was more than ready to explore the body in front of him, but even so he remembered that it really had only been a day or two since they met. He didn’t want to rush the other man if Dean didn’t want more than this.

But he didn’t have to worry because Dean looked as far gone as he was. “ _Jesus_ , Benny, tell me you have stuff, because I wanna feel _all_ of you.”

Benny froze. “ _Shit_.” He’d forgotten; how long had it been since he’d bought condoms? If he couldn’t even remember right away, it couldn’t be good. Four months, or more?

“Benny?”

“Do you have anythin’ in your car?” he asked, desperately.

Dean took a breath and thought. “Glove compartment,” he confirmed. “No lube, though.”

Halfway there. “Lotion?” Benny offered, leaning in to mouth at Dean’s neck again. Dean moaned at the sensation and Benny gave a nip to his collarbone. The younger man thrust against him and they both panted.

“Close enough. Ready?”

“Meet you in the bedroom.”

Benny tore himself away, missing the heat of the body next to him immediately. Dean turned and grabbed his keys from the side table before rushing out the door.

With a sharp breath, Benny hustled to the bedroom, tossing some of his clothes from the bed to a corner of the floor to pay attention to later. He grabbed the pillows from under the covers and whipped open the side drawer to grab the lotion, giving a sigh of relief to find that it wasn’t running low. Benny noted that he still had his shoes on and sat down to take care of that before Dean came back.

He’d just taken the second shoe off when Dean hurried into the room, coming to a halt in front of Benny. It was that brief hesitation that comes with entering someone else’s room for the first time and Benny just didn’t have the patience for it. He leaned forward and snagged Dean’s belt loop to tug him in close and the other man bent down halfway for a dirty, open-mouthed kiss.

He felt more than saw Dean toss a few condoms on the side table before dragging the man down onto the bed with him. Dean came willingly, straddling the Southern man and plucking at his shirt to open the buttons. “Should’a just got you out of this earlier,” Dean murmured, moving to press teasing kisses along the skin he began to expose.

“Would’ve saved…a little time,” Benny agreed, twitching under the attention. An aborted thrust had his jeans rubbing up against Dean’s and the other man closed his eyes a moment before focusing back on his task, moving a little quicker. Soon, Benny’s shirt was open and pushed to the sides to fully expose his chest, smattered with light hair, and Dean took a moment to run his hands up and down, almost tickling Benny before starting on the pants.

Benny wove his arms around and between Dean’s to start working on the other man’s shirt as well. They kept bumping into each other though and it became clear that they were slowing each other down more than anything. With a sharp laugh, Dean sat back, grinding on Benny’s lap a little and making him moan. Then he started finishing the buttons on his own shirt and Benny shifted enough to remove his open shirt entirely before taking off the belt and unzipping his fly. Dean was still settled over Benny’s legs and he couldn’t get his pants off yet, so Benny just ran his hands up and down Dean’s thighs, reaching to grab the man’s rear every now and again.

“ _Fuck!_ ” Dean swore and scrambled off Benny so they could disrobe and get on with it. Benny laughed and they both shimmied out of their clothes without much grace, and with an actual round of giggles when Dean’s pants got caught up around his shoes. It was ridiculous, and Dean stopped for a moment and laughed with Benny. He shook his head and toed out of his shoes, stripped off his socks, and rejoined the Southern man on the bed. The chuckling died down as Dean raked his eyes over Benny’s body, heat rising with his gaze.

Benny swelled under that look and licked his lips. Dean reached over to run his hands up Benny’s chest, leaning in to nibble at the Southern man’s lips for him. Benny parted them happily and sucked on the next bit of flesh he could grab. Shifting closer, Dean carefully pressed his hips against Benny’s. At the touch of hot skin against his erection, Benny moaned and rolled up into Dean, making the younger man shiver with pleasure. Another thrust had Dean shoving down on Benny’s shoulders as he wriggled his way down the bed, kissing down Benny’s chest and stomach to hover over the thick cock jutting up.

A quick flash of green eyes turned to Benny’s before that delicious mouth dropped down and started with a tender suck to the tip of his prick. Benny groaned out and grabbed at the sheets in an effort not to push into that hot pressure. “ _Fuck, Dean_.”

A hum in response had Benny shuddering. The other man used his tongue to devour him, licking and sucking away like Benny was one of the pies he so enjoyed. Goddamn but it felt _wonderful_. The only trouble was that the treatment was taking him along far too quickly; it had been so long since he’d taken up with anyone. “ _Mm_ , back up here, cher. Wanna get in ya for this.”

Dean glanced up with a teasing look. His eyes crinkled in a smile as he loosened his jaw and dropped down Benny’s cock again, letting it glide in smooth. Benny’s brain temporarily short-circuited as he suddenly saw himself fucking into that gorgeous mouth and spending his load that way. It was a pretty picture, but he ached to give back some of the pleasure that Dean was giving him.

“Dean, _please_. C’mere,” he managed to gasp out.

The younger man had mercy on him and slipped off to crawl back on top of Benny, giving him a sweet kiss. Benny could taste himself on that tongue and he groaned in want. He blindly reached to the side to grab at the lotion while they kissed. Getting his fingers coated, Benny spread Dean’s cheeks open and began to wet the tight pucker he found there. Dean hummed into the kiss in approval and edged his legs wider for Benny, who muttered curses under his breath. He pushed the first finger in and started salivating at the tight clench around it. God, if he only had the patience, Benny would like to open Dean up slow and sloppy. But they were too much on edge, as evidenced by Dean grunting impatiently until Benny got a second finger in there.

“More, Benny,” Dean urged him on. The Southern man could barely reply, only reaching over for more lotion to get that channel nice and slick for him. It was going to be a snug fit as it was, and Benny held onto that thought as he tried to calm himself and work in a third finger.

That seemed to please Dean mightily. He began to rock against Benny’s fingers as he stretched that hole wider, making gasps and moans that had Benny aching to do more. With a final caress, Benny withdrew his fingers and started to reach for the condoms. Before he could grab anything, Dean had snagged one and opened it up to roll onto Benny. The Southern man sucked in a breath at the teasing pressure and stared up at Dean in desperation.

“Careful, sugar. On the edge here.”

The intensity of those beautiful green eyes calmed a bit and Dean leaned in for a soft kiss. “I’m right with ya, Benny,” he assured. “God, how I want you.”

With that, he carefully sat back and began to ease Benny’s cock inside him. It was as hot and tight as Benny had imagined and only the new, slower pace kept him from going off. It seemed to take ages until Dean settled fully on top of him, and they took a moment to calm themselves and let Dean adjust.

Running a hand over Dean’s thigh, Benny grunted. “You doin’ OK, Dean?”

“Oh, yeah,” Dean breathed out. “You? Are you ready? I need to…”

In lieu of responding, Benny rolled his hips in a firm rocking motion to get them started. The thrusts lit him up and Benny was aching to chase that pleasure.

“ _Jesus, fuck!_ ” Dean tossed his head back and reached down to grab Benny’s broad hands. With a quick tug, he placed them on his hips and swiveled in a way that nearly had Benny cross-eyed. “You drive.”

Tightly gripping those hips, Benny used his legs as leverage to thrust hard into that wet heat and pull Dean down onto him at the same time. The younger man seemed to approve, as his nails dug into Benny’s wrists and he panted into the air. The look of Dean bouncing on his dick, tight abs rolling as he moved with Benny, lit the Southern man on _fire_ —especially at the noises Dean was making when he hit just _right_. Benny couldn’t help it now and increased to a rough pace and a grip that would be sure to leave bruises later. Every inch of him was strung tight and his focus was narrowed down to where he joined Dean’s body and his determination to give the man a good ride before he finished.

Luckily, Dean was there himself, and managed to release one hand and touch his erection moments before he spilled over, painting himself and Benny in his come. The inner walls contracting around him had Benny coming with a roar as well, pounding up into the man as he fell apart.

Dean made a few more shaky motions before collapsing on top of the Southern man. He started to shift off until Benny trailed his hands up from those hips to pull the other man in close, perfectly happy to have Dean’s weight on him. Benny buried his face in Dean’s shoulder and breathed in that sweaty, musky scent as he calmed down.

Benny traced a broad hand down Dean’s spine. “That was…”

“Awesome,” Dean finished, and Benny couldn’t be more pleased.

“Exactly.”

They quieted another moment before Benny reluctantly pulled back, carefully easing himself out of Dean and standing up to grab some tissues and dispose of the condom. The young man had slumped to the side, soft eyes watching Benny as he moved to clean them both up before settling back down on the bed. There wasn’t time for any awkwardness as Dean slid right back into Benny’s space and rested his head on the Southern man’s shoulder. Benny welcomed the touches with an arm slung up around Dean’s shoulders to pull him close.

“You doin’ OK, cher?” Benny checked with him, voice soft.

“Mm, never better,” Dean murmured back. His eyelashes brushed Benny’s collarbone as those pretty green eyes drifted shut. “Maybe, a little snooze is in order?”

Benny grinned up at the ceiling as he gently squeezed the man in his arms. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

Dean hummed agreeably and his breathing evened out quickly as he fell asleep, sated and with a smile on his ravished lips.

Benny didn’t know how he’d got here—would never have imagined a morning like this, just a few days ago—but nothing felt better than drifting off after an intense orgasm with the lovely man beside him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

**Author's Note:**

> A couple things to close out: 1) Anyone who's read me before knows that I'm slow to update and it's not going to be any different here, I'm afraid. So, sorry in advance, but I can at least say that the story itself is already mapped out; I just need to do the actually writing bits. And, 2) I really just made Benny a useless bisexual who's always aware of the opposite sex flirting, but when it comes to another dude he's all "oh, I'm sure he's just being _nice_ , lol. And it's Dean who gets to take one look at Benny and be "that's nice--gotta stick around and see if I can tap that." :-D


End file.
